The Floor Surface In Your New Bathroom

Beneath any great flooring materials is a great underlayment
or subfloor. The purpose of the underlayment is to create a flat, sound surface
for installing the flooring material.And
you’ve never had more choices for flooring material for a bathroom. From simple
vinyl floor tiles to designer ceramic tiles, the floor in a bathroom is a
backdrop just waiting to happen.

Hardboard

Hardboard underlayment is a grade of hardboard that is
designed to be applied over wood or plywood subfloors or old wood floors. Never
apply hardboard directly to concrete. These underlayment panels, which come in
3-feet-x-4-feet and 4-feet-x-4-feet sizes, provide a smooth base for various
floor coverings. This underlayment bridges small cups, narrow gaps, and cracks
in the subfloor. Fill large irregularities or low portions of the floor with a
surface filler and sand high spots smooth to provide a structurally sound base.
Hardboard is affected by moisture, so you should condition it by placing it in
the area where you’re going to install it for at least 48 hours before
installation so it can adjust to the level of humidity in the room.

Plywood

Plywood is used as a subfloor and as underlayment for most
types of flooring, such as carpeting, tile, and vinyl products. It is also a
good choice as an underlayment over existing flooring. Plywood is a sandwich of
at least three layers of wood veneer; the thicker the plywood, the more layers
make up the sheet. Plywood used for underlayment must have at least one smooth
side. It comes in standard 4-x-8-foot sheets and in thicknesses ranging from
1/4 inch to 3/4 inch.

Particleboard

This board is composed of small particles of wood bound
together with resin to form a uniform board. Because particleboard is less
expensive than plywood, it has replaced plywood in many applications, including
underlayment. Particleboard is available in standard 4-x-8-foot sheets and in
thicknesses from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch.

Because flooring and its
underlayment are subject to high humidity and moisture, most floor
manufacturers don’t recommend particleboard for installation in the bathroom.